The two chambers have approved different versions of a proposal (SB 128) intended to shift a key burden of proof in “stand your ground” cases from defendants to prosecutors in pre-trial hearings.
All Else
Monday Briefing: Rogers and Sowell Sworn-In, AARP Tax Help, Dan Rather on “Presidential” Trump, Cannibalism
Bunnell City Commissioner John Rogers, no longer a rookie, and John Sowell, will be sworn-in, Dan Rather takes on journalists who think Trump was “presidential” for firing missiles, Elgra romances.
Trump Steps Up Bombing in Iraq, Civilians Die
More U.S. coalition strikes are now causing civilian casualties than strikes by Russia, which was loudly and appropriately accused of war crimes for its bombing of Aleppo, Syria last year.
Florida Senate Wants 81% Increase in Aid for Poorer College Students, and Boost For 1st-Gen
Florida student assistance grants would grow by $121 million. Senators also want to double the state’s matching grants for “first generation” college and university students to a total of $10.6 million.
Fatal Irresponsibility:
How Palm Coast Willfully Ignored Street Lights And Sidewalks For 10 Years
Palm Coast’s government’s claim that it didn’t have the money to build sidewalks and street lights is a cynical lie: as people died, the city put luxury ahead of necessity, from city hall to expensive beautification and plenty more.
Cops Out in Force on I-95 Over the Weekend as Part of Drive to Save Lives Campaign
Be warned: cops from Florida to Maine are out in force this weekend (April 8 and 9), pulling over, warning and ticketing speeders, careless, reckless and distracted drivers.
Daytona State College’s Center for Women and Men Kicks Off 41st Year and Fund-Raiser Challenge
For decades the center’s focus was on helping displaced homemakers with little-to-no work experience, women who because of divorce, widowhood or other circumstances would come to learn new life skills, gain self-confidence and train for employment.
2017 Flagler Jail Bookings and Sheriff’s Crime and Incident Reports (Archived)
Archived 2017 Flagler County jail bookings, day and night shift commanders’ crime and incident reports investigated by Sheriff’s deputies and archive.
State Transportation Department Asks Flagler Beach Police to Crack Down on A1A Rock Art
Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom said police officers will not suddenly arrest people who build rock structures on A1A, but will use a more friendly, educational approach.
Dead Body Found in “Suspicious” Circumstances at Property of Man Missing 2 Months
Charles Singer last week was reported him missing two months from his west-Flagler home. Today, a body was found at the property after detectives and homicide investigators served a search warrant there.
Weekend Briefing: County Fair, Bird Walk, Turtle Fest, Plant Sale, Barrels for Boobs, Easter Bunny, Elgar’s Salut
Another busy weekend with the county fair, surfers raising money for breast cancer, turtle fest in Flagler beach, plant sales, a bird walk at Princess Place, breakfast with the Easter Bunny.
New Starbucks Location Brewing Next to Aldi in the Shoppes of Palm Coast on SR100
A 2,200-square-foot Starbucks just got a development order and will soon rise next to Aldi, Gate gas station and Tractor Supply Co at Belle Terre and SR100.
Florida Colleges Decry Legislature’s Budget Cuts of Up to $85 Million
The Senate budget includes a $55 million reduction in remedial education funding and suspends $30 million in performance funding for the colleges. The House cuts similar amounts to other programs.
Man Who Fled From Deputy at Traffic Stop Near Old Kings Elementary Turns Himself In
The search for an individual who fled the stop caused a partial lock-down at Old Kings Elementary and required the involvement of a K-9 unit and Flagler County Fire Flight, the emergency helicopter.
Thursday Briefing: The Fair, Classroom to Careers, Holocaust Memorial Lecture, Brigham Young’s Last Marriage
A classroom-to-careers symposium featuring local business at FPC, Democrats’ meeting at AACS, the county fair continues, a Holocaust memorial lecture at Statson.
Education, Medical Pot, Guns, Death Penalty and Budget: Legislature Hedged at Midpoint
Halfway through Florida’s 60-day legislative session, almost all major issues remain unresolved. That’s not unusual, but lawmakers are not going at a pace that suggests they’ll be done by the scheduled end of the session on May 5.
Storm Damages Newly Repaired Dune Areas Along A1A, Stressing Urgency of Permanent Fix
Tuesday’s storm left various parts of A1A’s dunes–what’s left of them–damaged, but from an unexpected direction: officials have been fearing a breach from the ocean. The problem this time was rainwater pushing out.
Charges Against Ex-Elections Supervisor Weeks Reduced to Five, But Warrant Stands
In almost two years of wrangling ex-Elections Supervisor Kim Weeks’s lawyers have reduced the 12 felony counts against her to five, but there appears little room left before either a trial or an out-of-court settlement.
Burglar Surprises Woman in Home on Palm Coast’s Boston Lane, Prompts Air Search
A woman came out of her bathroom at her home on Boston Lane Tuesday evening to find a man standing in her house. The alleged burglary triggered a search, but the man was not found.
Wednesday Briefing: Near-Record Breaking Heat, County Fair, Musical Menopause, O’Reilly’s Fall
The county fair begins today and for the rest of the week, “Menopause: the Musical,” is at the Auditorium, a history of sexual harassment spells Bill O’Reilly’s fall, Matt Taibi on Trump.
Matanzas Students Win Pledge for More Street Lights and Sidewalks From Palm Coast Council
Students who formed the Matanzas School Safety Committee in the wake of recent fellow-students killed by cars on dark Palm Coast streets submitted research and suggestions to the city council Tuesday evening.
In Unprecedented Move, Gov. Scott Shifts 21 Death Cases Away From State Attorney Ayala
Scott said he removed Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala “in the interest of justice” following her decision not to consider capital punishment in any case.
Two Houses Targeted in Pre-Dawn Shooting on Palm Coast’s Plainview Drive
A bullet was fired into a woman’s bedroom, and three vehicles were damaged in front of the house on the opposite side of the street in a 5:30 a.m. incident the sheriff’s office considers not to be a random act.
Tuesday Briefing: Palm Coast Street Lights and Policing, Assisted Living on US1, Superintendent Search
The Palm Coast City Council will get an update on policing in Palm Coast and hear a presentation on street lights and street safety in the city, the school board talks about its five short-listed candidates for superintendent.
For Flagler Library Trustees, Hopes that County Government Gets Past “Spinning Our Wheels”
Library officials have been frustrated by plans stalled by county government, whether it’s an expansion of the main branch library on Palm Coast Parkway or the construction of a new branch in Bunnell.
Monday Briefing: State of the Library, Return of Industrial Hemp, Teddy Bear Picnic, 2001 Odyssey
The Flagler County Public Library Board of Trustees makes a presentation to the county commission, the Legislature talks industrial hemp, Stanley Kubrick’s great movie premiered 49 years ago.
Pranksters, Hackers, Swatting and Service Failures: 911 Systems Need an Upgrade
A rash of disruptions in antiquated 911 emergency-response systems points up the urgent need for new technology to save lives in the wireless age. But money is lacking.
The Legislature’s Mullahs Threaten
Religious Freedom in Florida Schools
The Florida Legislature is about to approve a bill that would give religion preferential treatment in public schools, destroying a balance between secular rights and already inviolate personal expression.
Sparing None, Sheriff “Arrests” 15 of Flagler’s Leading Officials in Relay For Life Sting
Sheriff Rick Staly and his team served warrants on Superintendent Jacob Oliva, County Commissioners Dave Sullivan and Charlie Ericksen, fire chiefs and business leaders in a fund-raising ploy for cancer research this morning.
Weekend Briefing: Last Waltz With Toreadors, Housing Fair, Green City Hall, Immigration Forum, Linda Cole, Relay for Life
A busy weekend with theater (Waltz of the Torreadors at CRT), singing (Linda Cole at the Auditorium), a cancer fundraiser in Town Center, a housing fair at the Realtors building, and more.
Florida House Votes Against Corporate Welfare For Stadiums Like Daytona Speedway
The bill is part of an effort by House leaders to limit public assistance to private companies, reflecting a broader philosophical gulf from the Senate on business incentives.
Marvin Franklin Seagraves, 1925-2017
Marvin Franklin Seagraves, 91, of Emmett, MI, died Tuesday morning March 28, 2017, at McLaren Port Huron Hospital.
Retreading Losing Cause, City Will Take Over Running Palm Harbor Golf and Tennis Center
Palm Coast government will end its nearly-decade-long relationship with KemperSports at the money-losing golf and tennis clubs and manage the operations itself while still contracting out certain services.
Thursday Briefing: Another Media Panel, Summer Camps Expo, Judi Wormek, Handel’s Keyboard
The summer’s camps and recreation expo is at the Buddy Taylor Middle School cafeteria this evening, editors of local media appear in a panel discussion at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast.
In Superintendent Search, Five Accomplished Candidates From Near and Far Make Shortlist
The shortlist, drawn up Tuesday evening, includes a Palm Coast resident with a long history in Flagler schools, a Volusia County principal, a Clay County administrator and two candidates from Kentucky.
David Dalecki, True Floridian and Gentle Soul, 1969-2017
Dave Dalecki’s quiet, gentle soul will be remembered by everyone he ever met and beyond for his deep involvement in his community and elsewhere. He is survived by (among others) his wife of 23 years, Cindy, his sons Dalton and Tyler.
Flagler Beach Pastor Who Defrauded Church Members of Hundreds of Thousands Blames Others As He’s Sentenced to 7.5 Years
Wesley Brown, the 54-year-old pastor who’d won the trust of church members only to defraud them, sought to lay blame on others even as he was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, after facing a potential 100 years.
House Panel Approves Restrictive Medical Marijuana Measure, Including Ban on Edibles
The proposal would prohibit smoking of cannabis products, as well as edibles, and would ban all but terminally ill patients from using vaporizers to consume medical marijuana.
Wednesday Briefing: Embezzler Wesley Brown’s Sentence, Ayala’s Fight, Hutson’s Shark Fins, Transgender Firings, Huckabee Prays
Today: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s inland…in the lower 80s coast. Northwest winds 5 mph shifting to the east in the afternoon. Tonight:Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s. East winds 5 mph. Details here. Drought Index is at 383. Today’s tides: at the beaches, at the […]
Flagler Schools Lose the Only Internal Applicant for Top Job as Vernon Orndorff Takes Post in Texas
Orndorff has been one of the quieter, unassuming forces of the school district, had been a leading candidate to be superintendent. His departure creates more of a wild-card opening for the remaining three dozen or so applicants.
House Panel Votes 9-6 to End Vacation Rental Regulations in 3rd Straight Defeat for Flagler
Flagler County government had staked its chances on killing the bill in this particular committee because Rep. Paul Renner, who represents Flagler, sits on the panel and had pledged to do what he could to halt the bill’s momentum.
Two Students Involved In Exaggerated Gun Threat at Buddy Taylor Middle School
Texts alleging a gun threat at Buddy Taylor but that are apparently a month old have resurfaced in the past 24 hours, causing concern at school and the apprehension of at least one student.
Tuesday Briefing: Rethinking Palm Coast Golf Course, Vacation Rentals Round 3, Flagler Forum Media Panel
The Flagler Forum hosts a media panel with representatives from all local media, the Palm Coast council changes course on golf and ends red-light cameras, the superintendent search advisory committee meets.
Palm Coast’s Long Nightmare With Red-Light Cameras Set to End Friday, 6 Months Early
The plan, termed a “wind down agreement,” would end the operation of the cameras by March 31 “by mutual agreement.” But Palm Coast would have to pay ATS $16,000 to remove equipment.
Sexual Predator Returns to Live in Mondex After 12-Year Prison Sentence
George W. Mason Jr., a 42-year-old man convicted of attempted rape of a child younger than 12 when he was 27, has moved in with family at 1166 Forest Park Street in Daytona North, also known as the Mondex.
Unruly Palm Coast Crowd Cleared Out of Hearing Backing Bunnell Apartments Near E-Section
A proposed 250-unit apartment complex of SR100 in Bunnell but abutting the E-Section, drew out more than 100 Palm Coast residents at a zoning hearing that ended with the rom being cleared because of the crowd’s misbehavior.
For Florida’s Troubled Death Penalty, Prosecutor’s Refusal to Enforce It Is Latest Challenge
Recent studies have provided additional evidence to bolster criticism of the death penalty in Florida, which leads the nation in Death Row exonerations.
Monday Briefing: Computer Coding as Foreign Language, Undocumented Criminals, Trump’s Russian Affinities
Bringing county commissioners up to speed on the budget, harshing up penalties against undocumented immigrant criminals, Trump’s 30 years of dalliances with and affinities for Russia, a Haydn trio.
At Vacation-Rental Town Hall, Renner Hears Unanimity Against Impairing Local Control
A standing-room-only crowd at Saturday’s Hammock Town Hall urged Rep. Paul Renner to battle a legislative attempt to scale back local regulatory control of vacation rentals won through a 2014 law.
A 2-for-1 for Racists: Post Hateful Fliers, and Revel in the News Coverage
Nationalism evident since Trump’s rise–calls for mass deportations, Muslim bans, economic nationalism–intensified intense media coverage of emboldened white supremacists, attention the groups seem to be enjoying.